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This website is a constant work-in-progress, with articles updated regularly throughout the site. Much of the information comes from local railroad fans such as yourselves. If you have information regarding local railroads, photographs or railroad documents, or you feel a mistake has been made or information omitted from an article, leave a comment on the appropriate page or email me at author@santacruztrains.com. This site would not be possible without your help and support. Thank you! – Derek R. Whaley

Friday, August 9, 2013

Phillipshurst Flag-Stop

Location of Phillipshurst (Courtesy Duncan Nanney)

The Southern Pacific Railroad was not really in the business of creating new flag-stops along the Boulder Creek Branch in 1913, yet somehow a man named Dr. William A. Phillips convinced them. Phillips was a graduate of Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, who set up shop a mile north of Ben Lomond around 1913. He had already lived in Santa Cruz County since at least 1906 since he is mentioned as the elected physician of the Woodmen of the World, Santa Cruz branch. Considering the size of his estate and the fact that he managed to negotiate a special flag-stop to it, he must have been well off. He earned his degree in 1888, receiving his certificate three years later, which leaves more than twenty years of unrecorded history between his doctorate and move to Santa Cruz County. His estate he named Phillipshurst for himself, appending the suffix -hurst, meaning thicket, to it thereby adding a mystical quality. The Tudor Revival-style structure was built by Albert Farr.

The Phillipshurst flag-stop with waiting passengers, 1900s.(Courtesy George Pepper)

Regarding the flag-stop itself, its purpose if any, other than for personal use, is unknown. Since the right-of-way was across the river, a narrow suspension bridge was built between Phillipshurst and its namesake flag-stop. Even the Santa Cruz Sentinel was unable to definitively explain the purpose of the station or Phillips' bargaining tool in negotiating it. The Southern Pacific Railroad's August 19, 1923 internal timetable notes various facts of the spur. It was located 77.3 miles south of San Francisco via the Mayfield Cut-Off and Felton Junction. It was additionally 2.4 miles south of Boulder Creek. In relation to its neighboring stops, it was one mile north of Ben Lomond Station and 0.3 miles south of Siesta, another flag-stop. The station was established in 1913 and was around until at least 1923 and most likely until the end of the branch line in January 1934. The flag-stop itself was simply a sign and flag with no platform or other adornments.

In 1935, the Phillipshurst estate was sold to Theodore H. Smith who founded a school for mentally unstable peoples. The school was named the Blake Hammond School (the building itself was named the Manor). "Blake" was a reference to Smith's mother's maiden name while "Hammond" is unknown but may have been his middle name. Phillips himself went on to become the founder of the San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1926 during which time he married a local schoolteacher teacher, Beulah Berryhill.Today, Phillipshurst-Riverwood is on the National Register of Historic Places (#83004369) at 10580 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, CA. It was added to the registry in August 1983. It remains a private home today. It picked up the name Riverwood at some point, though when and why is unknown. The right-of-way, meanwhile, parallels on the west of River Road on the opposite bank of the San Lorenzo River. Homes have been built along this length of the right-of-way and the original Phillipshurst property has long since been divided by the river. The station site now sits at roughly 1888 River Road in Brookdale. The suspension bridge connecting the disjointed estate has also long been removed. Photographs of the station and suspension bridge both exist, but are not presently available to this author.Citations:

Around 1967-69, this area was a meadow of tall grass, similar to the Felton area. River road was a small, forgotten road with a thin coat of asphalt. The Blake Hammond School was evidently still around as a single house with restrictions housed adults during the day. Other than that, I can't remember any other item out here, but then we were pretty small and preferred the forest.

The photo with the three friends looks south because of the shadows upon their faces. The trees and the curve to the track (preparation for the upcoming bridge?), make me believe that it was further south than the meadow. Overhead wires on the west side, that sign might read "Ben Lomond, One Mile"; the style of dress and that 'modern' telephone pole suggest to me the 1920s.

Necktie, and a slim one (in the photo that George Pepper contributed), tells me that this is the late teens or the twenties. I think black was popular at the turn of the century, and women wore white in the teens, so the twenties are most likely.

A somewhat professional dress shirt on the man, but he lost his jacket due to the heat; my guess is that he was seeing one or both of his friends off. The photo may have been taken by another man which balances the group, so one couple saying goodbye to another. I wonder when small point-and-shoot cameras became common.